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UGANDA ANTENNA

FAITH AND JUSTICE NEWSLETTER
Issue no 24 - October 2005

It is beautiful to be Christian…Faith is not a burden to be carried, as it is often said,…but carried by a great love and determination, it is like having wings. It is wonderful to be a Christian with this knowledge that it gives us a great breadth, a large community,…a community for The Way, that we have a project for the future - and in this way a Being which is worth believing in. This is the joy of being a Christian and is the beauty of believing.
(Pope Benedict XVI after the World Youth Day)


Gulu Walk Day,
is being administered by the Canadian-based charity Athletes for Africa (Charitable Number 85950 1975 RR 0001).

It is an international civil movement initiated by the efforts of two average Canadians and their 31-day Gulu Walk earlier this year, which aimed to raise awareness and show support for the "night Commuters" and child victims of northern Uganda.

We are walking in over 40 cities all over the world on the, 22nd of October, to lend our voice to these courageous kids. In Kampala the walk will begin at Makerere University and pass through the business Center and will eventually end at Parliamentary Gardens or after walking an equivalent of 8-12Km.

As a participating audience we are expecting anywhere between 1,000 to 5,000 people who will march from Makerere University to the Parliament of Uganda, where we will spend the night on the lawn in a of show solidarity with the Night Commuters. We have been in contact with Bernard Eceru, the Senior Public Relations Officer and the House Spokesman, and he guaranteed the support of the Parliament during this extraordinary march. Uganda Police is very helpful in getting us permit.

The march would commence at Makerere University where a preliminary rally would be held to elaborate on the plight of the Night Commuters facilitated by a panel of guest speakers. The initial rally would be held from 10am to 12pm. The actual march would then start at around 1pm finally finishing at Parliament between 4pm and 5pm, where there would be guest speakers from Parliament, advocacy groups, and the Night Commuters themselves. We are expecting at least 500 people to be present for the overnight vigil.

All of the logistics of this event will be appropriately handled, including alerting the Ugandan Red-Cross for potential injuries, water hydration points, and concession stands for food.
· This event is by no means a political protest, but an event to raise awareness to the plight of the Night Commuters.

Schedule of Events:

10.00am - 12.00pm: Makerere University Rally
Guest Speakers
Address by the Chief Walker
1.00pm - 4.30pm / 5.00pm: March to Parliament
5.00pm - Morning: Guest Speakers
Ministers
Parliamentarians
Night Commuters & their Families
Music & Dance

Many readers of this Newsletter will not be able to attend the walk itself. The ARU Jinja Branch suggests that in religious communities there could be a Day of Prayer, to support the walkers and express in front of God our concern for the night commuters of Gulu and other areas.

Global Mass Lobby for Trade Justice (a reminder):
October 19-20: Geneva WTO mobilization
November 8: Brussels lobby
We can support the activists who will converge on these places by our prayers and our interest.
See: www.globalmasslobby.org

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Prayer for the Synod

Lord Jesus Christ, whom the Father has commanded us to listen as his beloved Son, shed your light upon your Church, so that she might have nothing more holy than to listen to your voice and follow you.

You are the Supreme Shepherd and Ruler of Souls. Look then upon the Pastors of your Church gathered in these days with the Successor of St. Peter in synod assembly. We implore you to sanctify them in truth and confirm them in faith and love.

Lord Jesus Christ, send forth your Spirit of love and truth on the bishops in synod and on all who assist them in fulfilling their task. Make them more faithful to what the Spirit is saying to the Churches; stir their souls and teach them truth by that same Holy Spirit. Through their work, may the faithful of their Churches be purified and strengthened in spirit, so that they might greater follow the Gospel through which you accomplished salvation and they might make of themselves a living offering to the heavenly Father.

May Mary, the Most Holy Mother of God and Mother of the Church, assist the Bishops in these days, as she assisted the Apostles in the Upper Room, and intercede with motherly affection to foster brotherly communion among them, to allow them to rejoice in prosperity and peace in the calmness of these days, and, in reading the signs of the times, to celebrate the majesty of the merciful God, the Lord of History, to the praise and glory of the Most Blessed Trinity, Father Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

 


ARU-JPIC Core Group

1) The National Justice and Peace Commission (NJPC) will meet the Core group of ARU-JPIC on Tuesday October 25th, 2005, at 10 a.m.. After having visited all the Diocesan JPIC Commissions during the year, it is time to make an evaluation of the participation of Religious in the Local Church initiatives. It will also be an opportunity to co-ordinate better our plans for the future. It will take place at Lourdel House, as ARU Secretariat is not available.
2) At the same time, the ARU-JPIC core group will finalise the annual report of activities to be given to the General Assembly of AMSRIU (November 7-9).

ARU-JPIC Commission

The ARU-JPIC commission meeting is to take place on January 21st,2006, at ARU Secretariat. We hope that most religious Institutes will be represented.

ARU Branches up-date

· We held 16 JPIC sessions in the following 13 Dioceses: Moroto, Kasana-Lwero, Kasese, Kampala centre, Mityana, Kampala Mpigi, Masaka, Kabale, Jinja (1), Kampala Entebbe, Fort Portal, Mbarara, Jinja (2), Toroto-Mbale, Lira and Hoima.
· We had collaboration with the JPIC Diocesan Commissions in two other Dioceses: Gulu and Soroti. Arua ARU branch starts planning a session in 2006.
· The ARU Branches in the following Dioceses: Kotido, Nebbi, Gulu, Soroti and Lugazi are still in the process of getting organised. Special visits may be necessary to support them.

Next ARU Branches Seminars:

· Mbarara: October 14-15-16
· Hoima: October 21-22-23
· Fort Portal: October 28-29-30
· Tororro-Mbale : November 25-26-27

The middle date (in bold character) is the day of the seminar.
The other dates are the dates of arrival and departure for people from outside the venue

From the Working Document of the Synod

82. The faithful ought to rediscover the Eucharist as the dynamic force of reconciliation and peace with God and others. In today's world, with its many divisions and differences-in some cases legitimate-Christians would do well, in gathering around the Table of the Lord, to rediscover their common roots, which are found in him. Assisted by the Word of God and the homily of the celebrant, the faithful will grow in faith, hope and charity and receive comfort through prayer, reflection and adoration. In this way, they can greater commit themselves to their duty of building a better world, increasingly more just and peaceful. They are to consider well the various choices made in political and social areas, so that their life does not contradict the basic norms of the Gospel, which underlie the Church's social teaching.


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